Syria foils suicide bombing attempt in Daraa

Damascus (Syria), June 7 (Xinhua-ANI): Syrian authorities thwarted early Thursday an attempt by a suicide bomber to detonate his explosive-laden car in the southern province of Daraa, state-run SANA news agency reported.

The car was loaded with around 700 kg of explosives and was intercepted at al-Mahata bus stop in the populated al-Sanamein city in Daraa, said SANA, adding that the "terrorist" tried to run upon noticing the suspicion of the policemen about his car.

Security agents chased him and after an exchange of fire the suicide bomber detonated his explosive belt, said SANA, adding that no casualties were reported other than the suicide bomber who was killed instantly.

In al-Hrak town in the suburbs of Daraa, another suicide bomber blew up his car at the western entrance of the city near a security checkpoint, wounding one agent, SANA said.

Meanwhile, the Syrian authorities foiled at dawn Thursday an infiltration attempt by an "armed terrorist group" from Lebanon into Syria via Talkalakh city in Homs, said SANA, adding that a number of the group members were killed and the rest fled back to Lebanon.

Another infiltration attempt by an armed group from Turkey was thwarted late Wednesday in northern Syria. SANA said three terrorists were killed and their weapons were seized, while the rest fled back to Turkey.

At early hours Thursday, Syria's state TV said armed groups committed a massacre and killed nine people in a village in the central Hama province on Wednesday.

Citing an unnamed source, the TV denied as "categorically baseless" media reports claiming that the government troops' shelling killed more than 80 people in the village.

Government troops intervened and clashed with the gunmen at the request of local residents, it added.

Women and children were among the killed in the Qubair village, said the TV, adding that many of the gunmen were killed in the clashes along with two government soldiers.

The TV said the massacre was designed to tarnish and frame the Syrian administration before a scheduled meeting of the United Nations Security Council.

On the other hand, the activists' network Local Coordination Committees said 129 people were killed in several Syrian cities Wednesday, adding that 86 of them were killed in Hama by the heavy shelling of government troops.

The figures could not be independently checked.

The massacre is the second within weeks that rattles Syria. Last week, a massacre occurred in the central village of Houla in Homs province, claiming the lives of more than 100 people. The government and the opposition have been trading barbs over the carnage. (Xinhua-ANI)